South Island

Question 1

Name two notable producers in Nelson

Answer 1

Neudorf and Seifried

Question 2

3 reasons that make Marlborough wines so special?

Answer 2

The unusual combination of 1. long days, cold nights, 2. bright sunshine, and, 3. in good years, dryish autumns.

In such relatively low temperatures, rainy autumns are fatal, but here grapes can usually be left on the vine to ripen slowly, building high sugars without, thanks to the cold nights, sacrificing the acidity that delineates NZ wines.

Question 3

What is partnership of Deutz sparkling wine? Name another sparkling wine brand in New Zealand.

Answer 3

Champagne Deutz and Montana. It is Montana’s premium sparkling wine along with Lindauer, the most exported sparkling wine of the country.

Question 4

What soil is found in Waipara?

Answer 4

Calcareous loam with clay and limestone deposits.

Question 5

What is the southern most wine region in the world?

Answer 5

Central Otago

Question 6

Name three producers based in Canterbury

Answer 6

Pegasus Bay- based in Waipara; built a reputation for fine Riesling

Two other producers struck out west, over the Weka Pass and found limestone soils to make Burgundian white and red wines.

Bell Hill-est 1997
Pyramid Valley- est 2000

Question 7

What is the only region in NZ that experiences a continental climate?

Answer 7

Central Otago. Make summers sunny and dry, but short.

Question 8

Who was the first to plant grapes commercially in Marlborough and when?

Answer 8

Montana (now Brancott) planted the first commercial vineyard in Marlborough in 1975. 1979 was when the first vintage of Montana Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was bottled.

Question 9

What is the soil of Marlborough?

Answer 9

Sandy, alluvial loam topsoil over gravel, providing excellent drainage and limiting vine vigor. Sites that are more water-retentive induce a more herbaceous character in the final wine.

Question 10

How much of New Zealand’s wine is produced in Marlborough?

Answer 10

Over 50% (Jancis says “around 60%) with nearly 10,000 ha of Sauvignon Blanc alone.

Question 11

What is the chief viticultural problem in Central Otago?

What viticultural problem do they avoid?

Answer 11

Spring Frosts. Also, in cooler years winemakers have difficulty coaxing ripeness from the grapes at all.

Low humidity prevents rot.

Question 12

What is the fastest growing wine region in NZ?

Answer 12

Canterbury, due in part to the succcess of its northern subregion Waipara Valley.

Question 13

Name three producers that made Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc a household name.

Answer 13

• Cloudy Bay (started by David Hohnen of Cape Mentelle in Western Australia, in 1985)
• Kim Crawford
• Hunter’s

Question 14

Name three producers of Pinot Noir from Central Otago?

Answer 14

Felton Road
Mt. Difficulty
Rippon.

Question 15

What is the most exported wine in New Zealand?

Answer 15

Montana’s Lindauer brand sparkling wines.

Question 16

What is the climate of NZ?

Answer 16

Mainly maritime. Central Otago is the only true continental climate, with greater seasonal temperature extremes than other regions; summers are sunny and dry, but short.

Question 17

What region is the smallest on the South Island of NZ?

Answer 17

Nelson

Question 18

What are the best know subregions of Central Otago?

Answer 18

—Wanaka (most northerly, first to be developed in 80s, location of Rippon estates.)
—Gibbston (cooler site)
—Cromwell Basin
—Alexandra Valley Basin (southernmost subregion) ?
—Bendingo
—Bannockburn

Question 19

What are the major regions of the South Island? (4)

Answer 19

Nelson
Marlborough
Canterbury
Central Otago

Question 20

What are two major climatic threats to grapes in Canterbury?

Answer 20

Frost

Hail

Question 21

What mountain range divides Marlborough from Nelson?

Answer 21

Richmond Range

Question 22

What two producers in Canterbury scouted out limestone to make red and white wines in a Burgundian fashion?

Answer 22

Bell Hill est. 1997

Pyramid Valley est. 2000

Question 23

What subregion of Canterbury contains the majority of the region’s vineyards?

Answer 23

Waipara Valley

Question 24

What natural feature protects Waipara Valley from east winds?

Answer 24

Teviotdale Hills

Question 25

Describe the three major subregions of Marlborough?

Answer 25

• the northern Wairau “WHY-roe” Valley
• the central Southern Valleys
• the southernmost Awatere “AH-wa-tree” Valley- Slightly drier, cooler, and windier than the rest of Marlborough. Diurnal temperature variation is most marked. Budbreak and harvest tends to be later than Wairau Valley
• The northern Wairau Valley’s lighter, stonier soils tend to make riper and often more pungent wines. The Southern Valley’s richer soils produce richer and more concentrated wines, while the cooler, lower-cropping Awatere Valley would be the country’s second-largest if it were a region in its own right.

Question 26

What region on the South Island sees the most sun, but paradoxically the most rain?

Answer 26

Nelson.

Question 27

What are the four key brands under Montana? Who is the parent company?

Answer 27

—Church Road- one of the 3 oldest in Hawkes Bay
—Montana/Brancott Estate
—Deutz
—Lindauer-Pernod Ricard sold Lindauer to Lion Nathan in 2010.
**Montana was bought out in 2005 by Pernod Ricard New Zealand

Question 28

What is the northernmost region on the South Island?

Answer 28

Nelson.

Question 29

Where are the best vineyard exposures located in Central Otago?

Answer 29

The northern hillside exposures—southern-facing slopes are often too cool for viticulture.